I have been able to create hybrid meshes using ICEM with the merge nodes > merge meshes function, for meshes that have large elements. But when I try to merge meshes with boundary layer and prism layer ICEM just freezes..

I was wondering if anyone have successfully created a hybrid mesh that includes a boundary layer on both sides i.e close to the surface. I'm trying to use very small initial height in the order of 1e-05. The tetra side of the mesh contains a prism layer and the hexa side contains O-grid boundary layer mesh. Both meshes have same amount of nodes on the curves/edges with similar distribution.

It's clearly been done using the meshing software Centaur (see attachment). I'm basically trying to recreate this mesh in ICEM.

Could anyone please tell if it is even possible to attempt such a thing in ICEM?

Basically, the ICEM CFD Merge meshes option only works if one side is all tetra... Then you need to add the prisms later...

It can be done, but it is a bit of a hassle. I know they are working on making it much easier, but that will be for a later version.

I have never seen it create anything like in your picture. But it would be pretty easy to get it to create a straight hexa mesh thru that region. Actually, I can't really understand why you even want to do that

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Regards to the tutorial "HVAC tutorial", could you please send me a link for this tutorial as I could not find it on google or in the icem tutorial folder
Maybe you could please send it to my email: k.vimalakanthan@cranfield.ac.uk

From what I understand I have compiled the steps to create a boundary layer for a hybrid mesh. Could you please confirm if this is the correct approach for such a mesh:

1. Create Hex mesh with the initial node height (set on the blocking edges) being the maximum boundary layer height

2. Create tri mesh with the initial node height (set on the side prism side curves) being the maximum boundary layer height

Because I do remember trying such approach and failing but I will give it a try again. I think the tutorial you mention will help me a lot.

I did come across some other threads describing different approaches for this problem:
1. Using the "Existing quad layers" option to generate the prism layers - tried and failed to succeed
2. Splitting the prism after merging nodes- don't really understand this method
Could you please suggest if I should consider any of these above methods?

Regards to the picture, Im also not sure why they have computed such a mesh. I was able to generate such a surface mesh when I converted Hex elements to tri. I suspect that they have done this so the tri surface nodes aligns well with nodes from the hex surface at the hybrid intersection, thus merging nodes becomes easy. Unfortunately I can only speculate.

Kind regards,
Kishore

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Kisorthman Vimalakanthan
Dept. of Power and Propulsion
Cranfield University
Email: k.vimalakanthan@gmail.com